Northstar Vale There's a lot of things runnin' through my mind that I don't say..
Ghost in the woods
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@Chey / @Vangard I know you've been busy recently so please don't feel rushed to respond to this, some shromance

The woody fibers gave way under the force of her claws, shallow scars lining the trunk as splinters fell free to litter the forest floor. The gouges clustered the trunks of many of the Vale's trees at eye level - typically centered to the right given her bad leg. A unique brand that, along with her scent, clearly stated who had passed by and laid borders for the world to see (smell?). 

Liri dropped down onto three paws nimbly, shaking the wood chips from her pelt. The soon-to-be Iratze padded into the forest, ears shifting to catch the call of the overhead aviary as she meandered. 

A hoarse croak startled her from idle thoughts - dark eyes raising to the raven perched upon a nearby branch. It turned its head to the side, allowing one beady gem of onyx to fall upon Leea as the wind stirred softly, questioningly. 

"A raven is sometimes an omen of death - one will see them linger over a battlefield after the fighting has ceased, aiding the Valkyries in gathering souls to take to Valhalla. Some even say they are the Valkyries given corporeal form," Vangard's low timbre rumbled, one gunmetal shoulder brushing against hers slightly as they patrolled. 

"Is that all they're known for?" 
Liri questioned, sensing there was more to come, as her head turned towards the pagan and a mahogany gaze sought his mismatched eyes. 

"They are also symbols of power - one of the few creatures with the ability to travel between Midgard and Asgard."


"Heil, messenger of the gods," she whispered softly, an awed smile breaking across her features, lest she frighten the corvid away. 

It's glossy black head turned, examing her even more intently as another rasp left its gleaming beak. 

Liri's lips parted. 

Quork. 

The raven visibly startled as an imitation of its call left her mouth - a skill she had developed in isolation after Pip's untimely passing - causing a delighted chuckle to escape her lips not unlike the soft tinkle of a windchime in summer.
"i'll keep you here when I lose my mind."
 
 
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One of his favorite past times was to watch her from afar. It was when she was alone and content in her solitude that she was the most beautiful. She relaxed fully it would seem, when nobody was watching her. Today a Raven had landed in her path and he watched as she held still allowing the messenger of Odin to appraise her. He studied the Raven, the way it regarded her intelligently was most unlike most ravens which would normally scurry a few feet away or proceed to pester you. No, he had the feeling this was either Huginn or Muninn Odin's special Messengers that came and went directly to and from the good himself. He held his breath as the encounter went on and then startled himself when Liri did a good imitation of the bird's cry. He laughed and slowly moved from the bushes brushing his side against Liri's soft fur "This may be one of Odin's special Messengers" he whispered I her ear, his breath caressing her fur as he touched his nose to her fur. Even in simple moments like this he couldn't stop himself from touching her. He turned to the Raven which had jumped a distance away upon his revealing himself "Heil Huginn" the bird ruffled it's feathers and he chuckled "Muninn?" he tried and the raven cawed before taking off apparently done with whatever it had been doing. He sighed softly and turned to Liri smiling broadly "Odin was curious about you. It was meant to be me and Odi who started the vikings anew but she's gone" his voice grew strained when he spoke of his companion and he swallowed before looking off toward where the bird had flown "I think Odin would like you more" it hurt to brush Odi aside so casually but the words were genuine, especially since he hadn't ever felt the way he felt for Liri when around Odi.
Ghost in the woods
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A soft, masculine chuckle bounced against the trunks - strangely familiar - and it was the fae's turn to startle as she eyed the bird in trepidation. 

Vangard emerged a heartbeat later, making her feel foolish for her fear, and caused a smile to break over her pale countenance as dark eyes discreetly slid over him in appreciation - he looked like no other wolf the Blackfoot had ever seen but it was undeniable that he was one of the most attractive males she had ever lain eyes on. 

Her gaze shot back to the raven at the pagan's admonission - eyeing it with renewed awe now that she was aware of its identity. Muninn, it appeared to be called, a name and tale of the Viking's world that she was not yet familiar with. 

Muninn fluttered away on dark, silent wings moments after he had revealed his identity, leaving the tundrian vaguely sorrowful and turning to Vangard for a reason the messenger might have fled. 

Liri blinked in surprise, wondering what Odin might find so interesting about she. She had little time to think on the matter, both her gaze and concerns drawn to the silverscale man as he spoke forlornly of Odi. 

"I did not know her," Liri murmured, gaze averted as her head turned aside and a single pale paw rolled a loose pebble underfoot, as if to say that she could not compare herself to the unseen woman and draw any conclusions of their various worth. 

Some hidden insecurity - borne of Kavik's infidelity - whispered that Vangard would have preferred Odi who needed no schooling to be a Viking, who was whole and untarnished by the past but his words floated through, cutting off this vicious voice. 

"You are one of my people, you became Viking the moment I saw the spark in your eyes." 

Cinnamon optics darted to him, wondering if it was Odin who preferred her or Vangard himself. 

She licked her lips, swallowing her thoughts. 

"I can only hope that He finds me as worthy of becoming a Viking as you." 
"i'll keep you here when I lose my mind."
 
 
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"She was like my sister. We grew up together, she was family" he whispered and then cleared his throat. "She wasn't someone i wanted to...Odin wanted me to start completely over and.." he trailed off his ears going back. He didn't want to discuss this but he wondered if Odi had left because of how close he had gotten to Liri. But she was viking, vikings never gave up on one another even when bad feelings were held. He shook his head and smiled, forcing the brightness to his face just as she said she hoped to prove herself worthy. His smile fell and he turned to that his muzzle brushed over the fur behind her ear "you are more than worthy. Of Odin. Of love. Of happiness. Don't you see how incredible you are my dove?" he asked softly.
Ghost in the woods
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"I believe I understand," she murmured, offering a life raft as he drowned in his inability to explain. "In the north, we call it 'tribe brother' or 'pack brother'." A similar revulsion coursed her veins as she considered what it might be like to attempt romance with Siqsa. It was nothing against the dragon personally, Liri just thought of him in a familial manner - such an endeavor would be impossible with her brother, blood or no. 

Dark eyes watched him approach, falling shut as Vangard's words washed over her. 

How many times had she heard such things from the lips of others? How many times had she told herself that she was deserving of happiness, of family, of life? 

She tries but even now it's so hard to believe. 

"I'm not," the healer protested weakly, rubbing her pale cheek against the argent of his chest as the soft words leave her lips. 

"I'm merely a woman. A woman who has seen Hel more than once and made herself at home, perhaps, but not extraordinary in the slightest," the Blackfoot murmured as she pulled away, shooting him a grin of dark humor and wry mischief as she nipped his ruff - dancing away. 

"You are the incredible one in our duo, I'm afraid," Liri smiled, hoping to shift the topic off her own admission of suffering. 
"i'll keep you here when I lose my mind."
 
 
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It pained him to hear her deny that she deserved better than she'd had before and he sighed wearily wishing more than anything that he could show her otherwise. She glowed with promise, with the spirit of a viking yet to be released and he decided that he would someday soon show her the hidden beauty of the world the way his father had. It wasn't something he was sure she would do since it altered your mind for a few hours but he would try nonetheless. He scoffed at her attempt to make herself seem less special "To have made yourself comfortable in Hel and lived to tell the tale is extraordinary" he retorted a playfully argumentative tone in his voice as he watched her dance away, the nip rousing a deep rumble from his chest "Me? Ha! The heir to a pack long gone just trying to find his way in life. I'm sure my tale isn't original in the slightest" he said as he sprang at her, less graceful than she but landing beside her and with a purposefully sly grin leaning in slowly and nibbling at the fur along her neck, teasing before he began to back away, his eyes glimmering with amusement.
Ghost in the woods
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She sensed his dissapointment in the soft, frustrated exhalation; the fae felt embarrassment warm her cheeks as her face turned away, not wanting to see such an emotion cloister in his discolored gaze. 

Her mind turned back to the years of abuse, loss, and broken trust. Liri seemed cursed in truth, doomed to continuously pick up the pieces of her life as each tragedy struck. She largely ignored the trials she had faced - preferring to continue on as if nothing had changed; she had survived worse she continually told herself and would survive again. 

But perhaps there was a kernel of truth in what Vangard said. 

Who else could endure so much? How many others would rise from the ruins with their capacities intact, renewed with a determination to survive? 

The healer found her eyes returning to him, gaze sliding over his features with something like appreciation - gratified insight. 

Someday she would share her past with him, already knowing within that he would not turn from her side upon her revelations. 

But not this day, she decided as a wide grin broke across her countenance like a sun emerging from behind cloud cover as Vangard returned her mischief. 

"Perhaps your song has been sung before. But you are more than that, Van," the tundrian rasped, watching him pad closer. "Your destiny has already been written in the stars by Odin." He was fated to bring rise to the Vikings once more; their children would someday lay claim to a proud lineage that married the north and nordic alike.

Leea leaned into the tantlazing nibbles the norseman planted along her neck, sighing softly as her eyes fluttered shut. 

They reopened a heartbeat later when the warmth of his body withdrew. 

A slight smirk crept onto her features as she caught the glint of amusement in his eyes, the 'come and get me' grin. 

If he wanted to tease, two could play that game. 

The sylph pattered to his side, crown dipping to brush against his shoulder blade - not unlike how the tribe had greeted fellow comrades. She continued slowly, pressing her frame flush against the silverscale of his side. 

Along the length of his body would the small sprite caress with her own, halting at his hocks to shoot a coy look over her shoulder at him. 

Her pale flag would raise, the speckled tip flicking ever so lightly against his nose. 

Liri launched from his reach with a great bunching of her muscles, laughter ringing through the trees as the fae raced through the forest. 

Catch me if you can. 
"i'll keep you here when I lose my mind."